That Butler, Superhero
by shadowkitsune-sama
Summary: "What do you seek?" a haunting voice asks. Robin stares into the ruby red eyes of what could only be a demon. Dick doesn't even need to think twice about forming a contract, not with Batman's life in danger. And the demon merely smirks knowingly at him.


**The Butler**

* * *

When Robin managed to pull open his heavy, bleary eyes, he noticed he was in a cage.

It was nothing new; it wasn't like Robin hadn't been able to avoid being held hostage all four years of his life as Batman's partner after all. That's why when Robin realised he was captured, he wasn't frightened about his position.

Rather, it was the utter reek of tears, blood, urine, and fear that lingered in the air where he was being held that disturbed the Bird. He'd initially assumed he'd been held hostage to get at Batman (again), but the longer he observed the place, the more it didn't seem like the case anymore, Robin's analytical mind told him.

Around him, in the dimly lit room, cages hung and stacked like looming towers. Their door wide open, and stands unevenly balanced, like an unruly animal – or _child_ – had been dragged out against their will. Or _many_ children, he should say, judging by the sheer amount of cages.

Surrounding the cages stacked in the center ring, were rows and rows of seats crowded with masked citizens crooning and awing at the sight, like an audience watching an exotic circus performance. And in the center of it all, smack dab in the middle of the ring, was a slab of stone with exquisitely eerie patterns engraved around it, completely and utterly covered in liquids, red, yellow, and sickly clumpy; reeking of death itself.

Robin averted his eyes as soon as he saw it, keen not to burn the image of the faceless boy, still chained and unmoving on the slab of stone, into his mind. The Bird drew in a shaking breath. He was just another boy like all the others who'd been kept here, the only evidence of their presence left were the cold, empty cages splattered in bodily fluids. Robin tried not to think about where those children were now, because he knew no good would come of it. … and soon, he would be just like them. Suddenly, the impact the occult-like room he was in, with mysterious symbols on the ground and candle lit shading, stood out more than Robin wanted. Because God only knows how many more children had been kidnapped and sacrificed before he had been taken? And sacrificed _for what exactly_?

Gotham had its share of crazies, but none who dabbled in this sort of stuff before; nothing this disturbingly occult.

The raven-haired boy closed his eyes, trying to remember what happened; retreating from reality. He dimly recalled a sharp cold pain to his sides – something was probably injected into him – before darkness over took him. Before the boy could delve into his memories any further, the world around him shook violently as his cage was kicked by a booted foot.

Robin's cage tilted to the side even as the boy glared upwards at who seemed like the ringleader, clad in a heavy black cloak and a detailed mask obscuring his face like the rest of the audience. Robin's hand instinctively reached for his utility belt, even as his brain confirmed it wasn't there. He was trapped without a weapon.

"You're the last one." The man before him said, completely ignoring the ridged, crouching stance Robin was in in his cage. "Perhaps sacrificing the Dark Squire will please the demon." the man continued dreamily.

"Demon? You're crazy." Robin spat.

The man's posture changed, and if Robin could see behind his mask, the boy knew the man would've been narrowing his eyes at him. "Crazy? Am I crazy for having hopes and dreams?" He spread his arms wide. "In this life, only the rich get what they want. But not anymore. When we summon our demon, he will fulfill all our wishes!" A murmur of ignorant approval swept across the audience. "Our wishes will finally come true!" the man yelled dramatically, flinging his arm to the sky.

"You're crazy!" Robin hissed out again, cut off as violent tinkling of glass showered them from above. Heads jolted upwards just in time to see the glint of a batarang slice through the sky, landing by the foot of the deranged ringleader. For a second, nothing happened, and then, _**Boom!**_ it exploded in a gust of intense smoke. The man leaped backwards as a huge bat-like form practically materialized protectively in front of Robin's cage.

The Bat kept a low stance as he guardedly watched the man before him. "If your wish is to end up in Arkham, you don't need a _demon_ to fulfill it." The Batman murmured out gravelly.

The man stumbled backwards, feet shuffling on the ground like he was moving on ice, before landing on his back. From his position on the floor, the man suddenly gave out a smile. "_Oh?"_ he said, lacking the fear most criminals had. And then almost comically, as if that mere sound was a cue of sorts, every member of the audience whipped out a gun training it on the Dark Knight himself. The Bat was surrounded by all angles, all 360 degrees around. Even if some of them were mere amateurs at handling that disgraceful weapon, the probability of getting hit was high – too high for Batman's tastes.

"Goodbye." And before Batman's muscles could even twitch, shots rang out around him like a deadly stereo. "And once more?" the sickening voice of the ringleader spoke out, even before the echoing stopped.

Batman's body jerked like a puppet on string as the force of the never-ending bullets pushed him every which way.

The sturdy built Kevlar suit could only protect so much, and after a heavy beating like that…

"No, no... NO!" Robin cried out, struggling against the heavy chains coiled around his limbs. His own body was littered with scratches from stray bullets, but they were easily numbed by the sight before him. "Br- BATMAN!"

The other man laid slumped on the ground almost motionless, blood pooling around him in a steady, growing puddle.

Robin could feel his breathing hitching at the sight of such a fragile looking Batman. He was so ... _human_.

"Well, well, it seems like your big Protector Bats has taken a nap." the disgusting excuse of a man before him murmured, raising from the ground like a looming shadow. Robin yanked at his chain, his gloved hand aching, wishing, he could rip the stupid mask off the pathetic villain before him. What did he know? Heavy echoing ringing filled his ears. What did he know? What did-

He hadn't known when it had started, but the thirteen-year-old could feel himself trembling in the cage. The rattling of metal against metal conveyed the boy's fear better than Robin's masked face allowed to show.

"Scared, my pretty little boy?" the man practically crooned at the revelation, seeing the boy's shivering. "Blood, tears, and fear are a delicacy to demons. Keep fearing, and summon a strong demon for us."

"Shove it." The raven-haired snapped back as viciously as he could, but even that didn't stop his trembling limbs. Robin was used to being captured, both as a superhero AND in his civilian form. He was stronger than this - he'd been trained as Batman's partner since he was nine. He'd seen all the evils that Gotham had to offer. So why was he so scared?

Behind his mask, Robin's baby blue eyes sought out Batman again, his stomach turning at the sight of the man, bloody bruised; unconscious.

A hand suddenly reached through his cage, heading for Robin's mask. With a snarl, the raven-haired boy lashed out at it. The hand jerked backwards, and a stretching smile pulled on the man's face even as he clutched at his bruised hand. "Take off your mask." the man ordered as Robin curled tighter away in the corner of his tiny cage. "I'm sure Batman won't mind." the ringleader joked, even as all Robin wanted to do was vomit his fears away. "I want to see what kind of beauty we are sacrificing to our demon."

Even curled up, Robin could feel the evil intents of the cult as their members closed in around his cage, hands reaching towards him from every single crack between the bars. Their hands clawed at him, pulled him, swiped at anything they could reach. The word '_help'_ clung in Robin's throat, aching to be shouted, but who would hear? "Get away from me!" he hissed out instead, pressing his gloved hands on his domino mask.

"Hold him down." voices cried around, "Grab his arms."

Robin struggled hard, but he was no match against the numerous members grabbing and pulling his arms and legs out like a human torture rack. Robin let out a muted gasp as the mask and adhesive spirit gum stretched the skin around his eyes as another hand hastily ripped off his mask.

"Open up those eyes."

Robin squeezed his eyes shut tighter in rebellion. "Make me." he retorted.

For a second nothing happened, then: "What do you think Gotham would be like without their Dark Knight, and ruled under my orders?" the man's voice suddenly spoke out, voice emerging from further away; lower, like he was kneeling beside something off to the side. Robin could feel his insides quivering, realising what the man was implying. He tried to swallow and ignore the words, but his mind wouldn't stop running; wouldn't stop flashing up images of what would be. "Well, I guess this is where we hold the funeral for the late Batman." the man's voice said disappointedly. The boy's heart jolted with fear. Robin's eyes snapped open just in time to see a gleaming knife gliding slowly near the uncovered portion of Batman's face, without the Kevlar protection.

"You can't!" Robin howled through his pain, voice hitting a pitch higher than his pre-pubescent self ever managed before. "You can't. You can't. You can't." he mumbled half-insanely.

The man turned, a shark-like grin on his face. "Oh, and is the little Birdy going to stop me?" he asked rhetorically, striding large steps back in front of the cage and looming over the small boy. "The Birdy with the exquisite blue eyes." he added softly to himself, almost leering. "You're quite the catch, aren't you? The demon will surely be pleased. Unlike those other second-class sacrifices we wasted."

Robin hated how he made it sound like the other victims were absolutely _worthless._

"You won't get away with this." Robin snarled suddenly. His voice was enraged, but that was merely a shield to hide his crumbing facade of calmness. Because he was alone. And even had Batman called for backup - he wouldn't have, of course, since Gotham was out of limits to the Young Justice _and_ the Justice League - it would take too long for them to able to find them and get Bruce to the hospital. Especially with himself in a hostage situation.

Even if he wanted to stay calm, he couldn't. His costume and mask, and his knowledge that Batman had his back; those were his security blanket. Those two things were what had helped him survive as Robin for so long. He wanted them, and he needed them, but they were being taken so forcefully away from him just as quickly.

The boy's heart thudded loudly in his ears; almost as loud as his racing mind that focused on nothing but the single line chant of "_Please, please, let us go. Don't take away Bruce. Don't take away my only family again." _And from within the loud racket that his brain was, it was no wonder he missed the sudden awed hush that fell across the whole damned room. Instead, what catch Robin's attention was the sudden chill, and the suffocating stench of _evil_ and _malice_ that preened under their undivided attention, in a stinging flame of toxic shadows. Robin's soul screamed to run as the _thing_ looked curiously at them all, but his body was no longer under his control.

Gleaming, blood red eyes swept across the room, settling on Robin himself, even as the rest of the inhabitants murmured unintelligent cries and demands. The hazy shadow drifted confidently closer to the filthy cage on the ground.

"I have been summoned." the demon - for it could only be a demon, with his brilliant, bloody, dark stare, and glistening teeth stretched into a fanged smirk – said grandiosely. "What do you seek? Will you make a deal with the devil?"

Everything in Robin's body screamed at him to run; to hide; to _don't consider it dammit, if you know what's right, _but there was no time to stop and think about the situation. Not with his guardian; his _father's _life on the line. "B-Batman! Save him!" Robin cried out.

The demon seemed to consider this slowly, and it took a lot out of Robin to not shout at the thing to hurry it up. "Ahh," he finally said, lips playing into an amused smirk. "Very well, but I require a contract with you first."

"Do it! _Just do it!"_

The amused grin grew. "Then tell me what you seek. What you _REALLY_ seek."

Batman. He wanted to save Batman. But that damned smile never quivered, knowing things Robin kept deep, deep in his heart. "POWER. Strength!" Robin finally shouted out. "I want to be stronger than this. Stronger than everyone else so that this can never happen again! I hate this weak, useless feeling!"

Something flickered inside those dark red eyes of the demon at those words. "It seems everyone wants _power _nowadays." he said, his voice almost seemingly nostalgic. There was a paused before a smile graced his features once more. "As you wish, young master." the demon said, words flowing from his mouth oh-so naturally. He leaned forwards, clasping his pale hand across Robin's right eye, some unseen force holding Robin's body from moving. "The more visible the place the seal is, the stronger its power. I will proceed with the contract, then." the demon whispered into the unmasked boy's ear before he could even react.

_The pain was excruciating. _There was no other way of describing it. Robin thought he'd been through a lot in his four years as Batman's partner, but that was nothing compared to _this_ pain.

"I am yours to order." the demon bowed deeply when it was over, his critical blood red eyes looking down on the shivering boy.

"THEN SAVE BATMAN!" Robin snarled, fueled by pain and fear. His voice was unclear from the chatter of his teeth and stumbling of words, but the demon understood him all the same.

"Yes, My Lord." In a swift motion, the demon leaped to action, a single hand quickly grasping the ringleader throwing him to the other end of the room before heading towards the fallen Bat.

The ringleader coughed and hacked at his impact, but held up a trembling but determined finger at the demon. "_Stop him!"_

Unsure murmurs resonance through the room, but the audience obediently held up their guns. The thought: "But we can't beat a demon…" darted through everyone's minds.

"Kill the boy! Kill the Bat!" the man spat out at his cult member's hesitance. "He doesn't deserve a contract! It belongs to _us!_"

All doubt vanished from their minds, replaced by lust and greed.

"_It's ours!"_ the vehement whisper began, _"Give me fame!"_

"_Give me fortune!"_

"_Forget the boy!"_

"_Listen to me!"_

"_Fulfill my desires!" _And at the same time, steady hands fired in an unwaveringly fierce determination at the boy caged in the center of it all.

Robin stretched out his hand as far as it would reach through the bars of his cage, trying desperately to grasp on to Batman and pull him aside. "Stop it!" the boy screamed watching as a bullet hissed on the ground by Batman's face.

"Well this certainly makes things harder." the demon mused out loud, sparing his master a glance. "Orders, my Lord?" he asked while pulling the heavy cage with Robin still in it to the side as a bullet narrowly missed the confined boy.

Robin didn't even seem to notice, with his eyes still trained on Batman and the smoking holes on his chest and ground. "_I don't care!_ I don't care what happens as long as Batman doesn't die!" the boy yelled out.

Unseen, the demon's lips stretched into a sadistic grin. The demon slowly licked his lips, a malicious smirk playing on his lips. "If that is your command." he said in a knowing tone. "Do not regret it." And then his crimson eyes suddenly seemed like they were _glowing_ in that small candle-lit room.

The air crackled. Flames flickered to an invisible wind, swaying to the unheard beat. Shadows wrapped around the walls like greedy hands, eager to grab hold of whatever they could.

Robin clasped his hands tightly over his ears, trying to drown out the screams and cries of mercy. Flashes of past terrors hovered like wisps of ghosts around the boy, overlapping the present with his childhood nightmare. Robin desperately squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to breathe in the stench of fresh blood.

He pulled his legs into his chest, feeling like the helpless thirteen-year-old Dick the rest of the world saw him as as he could only sit in the cage, unable to fight, and unable to reach his unconscious mentor. The feeling of the shackles digging into his limps wasn't even noticeable anymore, his body too numb.

Finally, there was silence, and then a loud _**clang! **_as the heavy lock on Robin's cage fell open. The demon regally held out his hand to assist they boy up, Robin's domino mask in his other hand. Robin ignored him, ungracefully scrambled on all fours in a desperate dash to reach his mentor instead.

"Batman." Robin whispered out, his hands trying to grab hold of the older man, but wasn't sure where to hold that wasn't bloody, bruised, or broken. The boy hesitantly wiggled himself under the Dark Knight's arms, hoisting the man up, attempting to carry the muscular Dark Knight himself. But Robin could feel his legs give out from under him even before he took his first step.

Cool, pale arms caught the two of them before they fell to the ground.

"Allow me." the demon said, supporting the Dynamic Duo even as his face looked like he'd rather be doing anything but. He handed over the boy's mask, watching as the thirteen-year-old pressed it back in place. "Where to?"

Robin kept quiet.

Crimson eyes slid towards the bat-costumed man hung over his right arm. "Then I take it you'd rather stand here and watch your ... _friend die_ in suffering pain?" the raven-haired demon inquired blandly; uncaring, a touch of amusement in those devil eyes of his.

Robin shivered at those words. "The-the Batcave." he stumbled out.

There was sick enjoyment on the demon's face as he elegantly raised an eyebrow at the bird. "How unhelpful."

Beside him, Batman suddenly seized up.

"Wayne Manor!" Robin cried out suddenly without hesitation, eyes focused solely on his mentor. "Top of the hill. Largest mansion in Gotham."

"Ah?"

As if catching himself, the boy's frantic fervour abruptly died down, forced by years of practice. Robin nodded stiffly, giving a strict glare at the demon before him. "And don't you dare allow anyone to find out." he growl out in a tightly controlled voice.

The demon smirked, but bowed deeply - or as deeply as one could while supporting two bodies. "I am bound by your contract, my Lord." he offered.

And then with a sudden gust of wind in Robin's face, the world faded in a blur of speeding lines as the demon took off.

**x**

Robin knocked at the front door of Wayne Manor the moment the demon stopped in front of it.

Weary but sharp eyes darted across the tall, pale man carrying Gotham's two vigilantes as soon as the old butler opened the door. "Master Robin." Alfred greeted without missing a beat, "How may Wayne Manor be of service to the city's heroes?"

An unreadable expression flitted over the demon's face as he seemed to study the British butler before him.

"Batman requires medical assistance." Robin stated, keeping his voice as steady as he could hold it just as much for Alfred's sake as his own.

Colour visibly drained from the old butler's face as the demon shifted his body allowing the limp man draped over his arm to be seen. "Yes, of course." Alfred said professionally. His eyes flickered sharply between the young master and the unknown man carrying the two vigilantes.

"He knows." Robin stated, somewhere deep in his mind telling him that the moment he accepted that contract, he'd already lost his secret identity to him, as much as Robin hated that. And Batman would probably kill him when he found out.

Alfred nodded, face expressionless except for the steady concern that was slowly leaking out as Batman remained locked in his vision. "Very well. Take him to the Bat-infirmary. We shall discuss this later."

The three of them trudged towards the grandfather clock hiding the Batcave, Batman held up by the demon's strong grip. When they'd made it to the room, Robin allowed himself to soundless slide into one of Bruce's comfortable couches and nodded at the two to continue on, trying not to let either of them notice just how hard his legs were trembling.

"We will be back in a minute." the old butler said unnecessarily, a hand directing the demon down the cave steps.

Robin dipped his head into a wordless nod, his eyes cautiously following the demon's back until he could no longer see either of them from the angle he was at. The Bird closed his wearily eyes and pulled himself close for warmth.

When Alfred returned, a fluffy blanket was in his arms. He carefully placed it around the young bird's shoulders without a word. The old man placed a heavy medical kit beside the boy as well.

"Thanks, Alf." Robin murmured into the soft fabric, rubbing his tired face into it. Quietly, the demon slipped to Robin's side.

"Of course, Master Robin." Alfred nodded.

Robin removed his mask; the strong bird reverting back to a nervous, fearful thirteen-year-old ward. "How's Bruce?" he asked, his voice discreetly quivering under his steady tone. But Alfred had practically raised Dick and knew fear from the boy when he heard it.

"He is stable. Please get some rest, young master. Master Bruce will be better tomorrow." In a rather un-butler like movement, but rather as the grandfather Dick always considered Alfred to be, the old man pulled the thirteen-year-old into a tight, trembling hug. "He will be alright."

Dick nodded weakly into Alfred's arms before talking a deep breath to calm himself. When the thirteen-year-old pulled away, the boy was feeling more like his collected self. Dick tilted his head up, looking directly at Alfred. "I'm fine now." he said, trying to convey his strength.

"Master Dick, your eye!" Alfred exclaimed suddenly.

Robin's hand immediately snapped up to his right eye. He could still feel it throbbing from that agonising contract ritual the demons performed on it, but up until now, there had been no time to dwell on the pain. Or _any_ detail at all. "What's wrong with it?" Robin asked hesitantly, suddenly afraid of what the demon had done. He could still see out of it just fine, but if it was enough to shock Alfred…

"I will fetch a mirror." the butler offered. The old man stood up to get one, only to have the demon stop him with a gloved hand.

"Allow me." he said. From one of his pockets (or rather out of nowhere, Robin would admit), the demon pulled out a fancy, Victorian styled handheld mirror, and held it professionally up for Dick. "Young Master."

With a quick detached thanks, Dick tried not to over fervidity stare at his right eye as his face flashed in front him. The thirteen-year-old held a hand to his eye, rubbing at it in disbelief. Instead of his usual distinct robin-egg blue eyes staring back, his right eye shone eerily in deep purple, glowing lines curved into seal-like pattern.

"That is the proof of our established contract." The demon explained, pulling off his own white gloves at the same time. On the back of his hands, the same symbol glowed. "We are tied together by our contract. I am your to command, my Lord." A vicious smile grew on the demon's face. "And your soul is mine to devour."

Robin dimly heard Alfred gasping at that statement

"Alfred, do you mind staying with Bruce until Doctor Leslie arrives?" the boy asked, suddenly eager to send the old butler off before the demon could frighten the man anymore.

The butler hesitated giving an indiscreet glance at the looming demon by Robin's side.

"It's fine, Alfred." Robin said giving the butler a dismissing nod. "He won't harm me."

Alfred nodded cautiously, but the old man replied with a, "As you say, Master Richard" all the same. "I will be in the Bat-infirmary if you require me."

"Thanks." Dick grinned, feeling the stretching of his face, but his mismatched eyes didn't look the slightest humorous.

For a while after Alfred left, Robin sat awkwardly with the summoned demon, unsure. His hands reached towards the first-aid kit, flipping up the lid. He fumbled with the contents inside before withdrawing out bandages.

Beside him, the demon leaned towards him. "Allow me." the demon said, elegantly grasping the roll of bandages out of Robin's hands.

Robin didn't bother resisting, knowing his hands were shaking too much to even unroll it properly. "So are you going to take my soul now?" the boy asked, eyes distant as he stared off into Batman's general location.

"Are you offering it?"

"No."

The demon's lips twitched, amused. "Only after our contract is fulfilled, then." he answered.

The raven-haired boy nodded, unable to recall what he had shouted at the demon before, but he had a fairly general idea. "The strength so no one will suffer through the pain like I had by the hands of the villains."

The demon bowed, "Correct, young master. I will do whatever it takes to fulfill that wish."

Robin dipped his head into a nod. "I see." he said, before allowing the silence to stretch on. The thirteen-year-old watched in silence as the demon wrapped up his wounds efficiently like he had done it a thousand times before. The boy allowed his mismatched eyes to follow the demon's outline, observing the impossible being.

"What is your name?" Robin finally asked, hands pulling at the warm blanket placed around his shaking shoulders once the demon finished tying off the last knot.

The demon paused. He seemed to consider the question before sending him an unreadable expression. "I go by whatever name you wish to give me."

Robin frowned at that. "You don't have a name?" he asked.

"I have many." the demon corrected idly.

"What was the last name you had?"

Robin watched as the demon gave what he would almost call a reminiscing gaze as he bowed once more. "Sebastian." he said grandly. _"_Sebastian Michaelis."His lips stretched into a long smirk. "_And I am one hell of a butler."_

* * *

_A/N: ["Nope. Sorry, but that's Alfred's title."]_

_Initally,this started out as a crack-fic, but the more I wrote, the more interesting the cross-over seemed, so I made an actual plot out of it. I tried to recreate what happened with Ciel as closely as possible :D_

_But anyways, yes, there will be a second chapter. When? I donno. But considering I put this in 'Young Justice' and not 'Batman', expect to see Young Justice characters before I set this story to complete. _


End file.
